Biko Botowamungu

Biko Botowamungu was born in Kisangani in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He qualified as a wrestler at the 1976 Olympics for what was then Zaire (nowadays COD), but African countries boycotted the Games due to the Apartheid policy of South Africa.

Botowamungu subsequently travelled to the USA, Germany, and Austria in 1978 as a wrestler. In Wien (Vienna), he met his future wife and became an Austrian citizen. He then became Austrian heavyweight boxing champion (1983) and super-heavyweight (1984-1989,1992). At the 1988 Seoul Olympics Botowamungu competed in the super-heavyweight division but was knocked out in the first round of his contest by the American Riddick Bowe.

Botowamungo turned professional and moved to the United States in 1992 when he was promoted by Don King. He had 27 professional bouts between 1992-2004 with a record of 10-16-1.

Botowamungu raised seven children from two women. He lived partly in the US, partly in Berlin, and partly in Wien (Vienna). In 2000, he became a Baptist preacher having previously worked as a security guard with the United Nations at Wien (Vienna). Botowamungo appeared in some music videos and participated in Austrian entertainment shows briefly. In 2025, he died from dementia.